A Braves blog of statistics, numbers, and CPA-driven analysis about Atlanta and the rest of the NL East.

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Game 3 Recap: Padres 6/12/13

This series was a complete disaster. The Brave were swept for the first time in the NL by the Padres. If we got cash for clunkers, this series could put a down payment on a Ferrari. In fact, what do you think Chipper Jones?

Exactly. We're hitting balls hard, but they are going right into gloves. For the most part the Braves are pitching well (Maholm was the exception), and we're not getting the run support. Maholm went 5.2 innings with 5 runs, 7 hits, and 3 walks. I expected some baserunners, but that's ridiculous. Meanwhile, Volquez looked like a completely different pitcher going 7 innings with only 1 run. The guy came into the game with an ERA near 6, and he shut us down cold. I am not amused.

The hitting? Situational hitting (or lack thereof) is killing us. The Braves go 2-9 with RISP, stranding 9. The Braves went 4-22 (.182) with RISP on the series. They can't string anything together on the road right now. The problems that concerned me at home with the Braves carried over to the road. Even against the Pirates the Braves struggled with RISP, but they were bailing themselves out with the long ball. Now on the road, the long ball wasn't a big portion of the offense, and the RISP numbers reared their head. Also, Freddie was robbed several times on possible hits that got snagged by Padres infielders.

The Braves scored 2 runs in this series in the first 4 innings. The Braves now average 1.8 runs per game in the first 4 innings, 21st in baseball. They also give up 1.92 runs to the opponent in the first 4 innings. We have the worst run differential in the first 4 innings than any other team leading their division. These slow starts are what really cause the issues on the road. When you are at home, you get to bat last and rallies are more likely. On the road? Everything is against you. It's tough to win on the road anyway, and it's even tougher when you're always playing from behind.

We get a merciful day off before heading home to face the Giants. Lucky for us, the Giants have fallen on hard times of late. They are only 2 games over .500 and they've lost 2 in a row, and 6 of their last 10. Sandoval aka Kung Fu Panda is on the DL, and it looks like Scutaro will be heading there shortly. We're catching them at the right time, and we need to take advantage. This home series will be about righting the ship after a day away from baseball.

About Me

I come home from a long day of cranking the adding machine, and during baseball season I know that almost every night at 7PM, the Braves will be there. They are like a comforting sports night lite. I fully admit to doing the Chop in my own living room, by myself, in order to get a rally going. I also admit to getting entirely too involved in the games by yelling at the TV. My neighbors probably think I'm insane. They may be correct.
I'm also a devout Christian, and a friend of Jesus. I enjoy discussing the Bible and teaching a class at my local church.